I've been backpacking for
45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often
take three-day trips.I'm usually
camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m).I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike
in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.Though always looking for ways to reduce
weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose a bit of extra
weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.

Especially pertinent to
this review - I'm an avid skier who does most of my backcountry winter
traveling on skis, either as touring or in search of powder stashes for some
downhill telemark turns.

Product Details

Backcountry Access, Inc.,
better known among its customers by its initials BCA,
is a Colorado-based company that specializes in winter backcountry gear.Its Tracker DTS is a battery-powered digital
radio receiver-transmitter intended to locate a hiker or skier who has been
buried in an avalanche.The Tracker has
directional arrows and digital reader that, when the device is set to receive,
point in the direction of and indicate in meters the distance to the nearest
transmitter.BCA
promotes the Tracker as "the easiest to use" of any available beacon
device.

Certified to be in compliance with all applicable North American and European
norms.

MSRP: $289.95 US.

Warranty: Five-year
limited warranty on workmanship and components.BCA will repair or replace units it determines
are subject to the warranty.The
customer must send the unit to BCA in Boulder,
Colorado.BCA's
website provides a means for obtaining a return authorization but does not
indicate if BCA will pay for shipping.

Field Information

Unless
it's easy track skiing on a golf course or set cross-country track, I wear my
Tracker every time I venture into the backcountry on skis or snowshoes.In the three winter seasons since my purchase
that means about forty or fifty days' use, in temperatures from -30 to 70 F/-32 to 21 C and at altitudes up to 11500 feet/3500 m.My snow playground is usually the Northern
Rockies, where avalanches can be an everyday hazard.Often I'll wear my beacon even when skiing in
bounds, as my favorite ski areas include ample terrain accessible only by boot
pack, skinning uphill, or a long traverse; many of these areas have marked
backcountry gates for adventurous skiers willing to leave patrolled terrain.A beacon is a sensible precaution, I'd
say.BCA makes
the case even more convincingly: "What's your partner carrying?"

How it Works

For
readers who are unfamiliar with avalanche protocols, here's how a beacon system
is designed to work.Each person in a
group carries a beacon set to transmit.If someone is buried, survivors switch their beacons to receive and then
systematically comb the debris area for a signal from the victim's beacon,
which should still be transmitting.Early analog beacons worked by sound, generating radio beeps that
increased in frequency and volume as a receiving beacon approached the
transmitter.The Tracker does this too,
but also has a processor that converts the radio signals to a distance (in
meters) reading in a light-emitting diodes (LED) display and the direction from
which the signal emanates by illuminating a bulb in the directional arrows at
the top of the unit.This allows a
searcher more quickly to pinpoint the area where the victim is buried, which
can then be more closely searched using probes and shovels.I've seen other beacons with digital
displays, but according to BCA the Tracker is the
only one on the market that instantly converts the radio signals to directional
arrows and a distance immediately – "real-time" rather than delayed
display.

The
certifications referred to above mean that Tracker operates on a frequency
designated by the government (in the United States, by the Federal
Communications Commission) for individual rescue.All other certified digital beacons operate
on the same frequency so not everyone in a party need carry the same
brand.

The
Tracker has three controls.The first is
used only twice each backcountry day – a switch on the back of the unit that is
turned on by rotating it ninety degrees to the right to activate the unit at
the start of the journey, and back off at day's end.The red Search button in the middle of the
front controls whether the unit transmits or receives radio signals.By depressing this for about one second the
display will first indicate the percentage of battery strength remaining and
then display "tr" (for
"transmit") very briefly.When
in transmit mode the small indicator light on the left side near the bottom
will blink every few seconds to indicate that the unit is transmitting.

All
that remains to be done on an uneventful day is turn off the master switch when
safely out of avalanche danger.If a
search becomes necessary, I depress the Search button, wait for a brief
"se" in the display, and then quickly release pressure.Once all above-ground comrades have similarly
switched over to receive (search) mode the hunt for the victim can begin.

The
smaller, yellow Options button on the left front of the unit refines search use
in a multiple burial scenario.By
depressing that button when the unit is receiving until "sp" appears,
then quickly releasing it, a user converts to Special search mode.In a standard search the Tracker will pick up
and report only the closest signal and has a full 360 degree window.In Special mode the window is reduced to 75
degrees (the center three lights at the top) but the Tracker will detect all
signals in the window regardless of strength.

A
user in standard Search mode can mute the speaker by holding the Options button
down for three seconds, at which time "LO" will be displayed.A second three-second depression will restore
the speaker and bring up an "L1" in the display.

Putting it on

I
use the holster and harness to wear the Tracker rather than stash it in a
pocket, to ensure that body heat keeps the batteries from freezing.The Tracker, in its holster, sits just above
my left hip, over my base layer and under an insulating layer.The shoulder strap (now said to be blue
webbing; mine is grey) is adjustable with a slider; it extends from the holster
over my right shoulder.Then I snap up the waistband (black webbing), giving something of a
grenadier or traffic cop look, as shown in the photo at right.The portion of the strap that goes across the
front of my waist is elastic and will stretch to fit, so I don't have to
micro-adjust it.If it's necessary to
take the Tracker out during the day, there is an elastic lanyard attached to
the bottom of the Tracker with a clip that I keep snapped on to the shoulder
strap just above the holster.The
lanyard is long enough (18.5 in/47 cm before stretching) to let me carry the
unit in one hand, parallel to the ground (proper search technique) without
undue stretching.

Putting the Tracker to Work

A
beacon is one piece of gear that I hope never to employ for its intended
purpose.To date I have not been
involved, as victim or searcher, in an actual body search.But I've had ample practice with the Tracker.Professional guides, skiing buddies, and I
regularly conduct beacon tests before heading into the backcountry.That way each in my group knows not only what
his or her partners are carrying but also that in a pinch what is being carried
will work.I find this a particularly
important refresher course for a snow traveler (me) who gets his winter exposure
in spurts, a couple of days or a week at a time, and sometimes with a couple of
months between trips.My drills include
testing all the modes, followed by searches for a buried beacon, first one by
one to ensure each person in the group is up to speed and then in small groups
to practice searching a large area efficiently.Constant practice should save critical time if I'm ever part of a search
when a life is at stake, and I've worked at making proper search techniques
second nature.

The
Tracker shines in all drills.First of
all, all of its functions work just as advertised.Once I learned how to hold the unit and
proper search logic (which takes account of the curved shape of radio waves)
the tracking arrows and distance indicator really accelerate locating
generally, then pinpointing, the area of the buried transmitter.If anything it's more easily done than in the
description I have just given.That's
the best thing about the Tracker in my opinion – it's virtually
idiot-proof.I have definitely found it
faster and easier to use than any other beacon.The curved sides of the Tracker make it a bit easier to hold in one
gloved hand.

Further Observations

Batteries
are stored in a compartment outlined in yellow on the back of the Tracker
accessed by unscrewing a single screw at the bottom.The compartment lid is hinged at the top so
there's no risk of dropping it in the snow.Putting new batteries into the Tracker is part of my pre-trip routine,
so my extended use of a single trio has never approached BCA's
advertised 200-hour limit.I have found,
though, that the unit's reminder every time I turn it on to be a handy means of
checking that I have not forgotten to add new batteries or inadvertently
replaced one used battery with another.

I
can't say that the Tracker is always comfortable when worn.Skinning, kicking, gliding, and downhill
skiing require constant arm movement that can occasionally twist the holster or
webbing or make the holster slide up a bit.I've always been able to get things back in place without doffing my
outer layer, however, and the Tracker's system is no more uncomfortable than
any other beacon set-up I've used.My
only design complaint is that now and then the unit can stick in its holster to
the point that I've had to remove a glove to extract it for use.Operator negligence has likely contributed to
this, as it hasn't happened when I have taken care to extend the lanyard
entirely outside the holster when donning the harness in the morning.

The
robust hard plastic that encases the electronics has withstood jarring and
bangs against rocks from falls and scrapes without affecting performance.I've never had the unit switch modes from
impact's accidentally pushing one of the buttons.

Likes

Easy
to use

Reliable
and durable

Less
expensive than other digital beacons

Possible Improvement

It
might be possible to make it smaller.

I'd
prefer to eliminate the Special mode.Even BCA admits that it's tricky to operate
and useful only in rare circumstances.It hasn't interfered with my use, however, and professional guides use
these same devices, so I'm OK with this little fillip.

Summary

If
there's any avalanche risk at all I'll strap on the Tracker.Even if, as I hope, I never have to use it
for real, it's a daily reminder that the backcountry can mean danger as well as
exhilaration, and that safety is always the first rule.And if I'm ever snowed under I'm hoping my
companions will all be carrying Trackers.

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.